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Regulatory Aspects of Choice and Operation of Large-Scale Cooling Systems in Europe

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Operational and Environmental Consequences of Large Industrial Cooling Water Systems

Abstract

The operation of large-scale power plant and other industrial cooling systems is regulated in European Union (EU) through the interplay of a number of Directives and Regulations. These influence the choice, design, development, permitting process, construction and operation of such systems. Ultimately, the authority to construct and operate a cooling system subject to appropriate constraints is manifest through one or more permits.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    IPPCD requires consideration of the installation as a whole and since the cooling system can affect the overall emissions, efficiency and resource requirements of the entire process; in practical regulation, the cooling system is not separated from the assessment/permitting process of the installation.

  2. 2.

    “Best Available Techniques”, “Techniques”, “Available Techniques” and “Best” are all defined in this context within IPPCD art 2. Together, these definitions promote consideration of prevention and reduction of emissions to the environment as a whole (i.e. not focussing on specific media) subject to commercial and technical viability at the scale required. IPPCD Annex IV provides a list of items for which “special consideration” should be given. Of particular relevance for present purposes is item 9 (consumption of raw materials, including water, and energy efficiency).

  3. 3.

    In interpreting this statement, it should be noted that earlier in the BREF (EIPPCB 2001 4.2.1.4) it is stated that for large capacity systems in coastal areas once through cooling systems is the primary BAT approach.

  4. 4.

    The process for this is integral to the holistic nature of WFD. In essence it requires consideration of what packages of measures would “bridge the gap” between current status and the WFD “default” objective of good ecological status by 2015, judging the most cost-effective package of measures and then considering whether technical feasibility or disproportionate cost considerations would render it impossible or inappropriate to seek to achieve the default objective, in which case an alternative timeframe or less stringent objective may be set.

  5. 5.

    “Pollution” is defined in WFD art2(33).

  6. 6.

    WFD art11.3(e) in itself introduces no requirement for prior authorisation for abstraction from salt waters, and no definition of “fresh” is provided.

  7. 7.

    http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents&vm=detailed&sb=Title.

  8. 8.

    Selection of an appropriate monitoring location (e.g. relative to a point of discharge, at the surface, bed or mid-depth) is not straightforward and its choice leads to a de facto mixing zone (see e.g. Turnpenny and Liney 2006).

  9. 9.

    Which need not necessarily coincide with WFD River Basin Districts.

  10. 10.

    http://www.echa.europa.eu/.

  11. 11.

    http://eippcb.jrc.es/reference/.

  12. 12.

    Annex VIII provides lists of substances or groups. Member States derive their own candidate Specific Pollutants and set EQSs based on whether or not their discharge is in “significant quantities”.

Abbreviations

AOX:

Adsorbable organic halogens

BAT:

Best available technique

BD:

Birds directive

BEP:

Best environmental practices (for diffuse sources)

BPD:

Biocidal products directive

BREF:

BAT reference document

CIRCA:

Communication information resource centre administrator (for WFD)

CIS:

Common implementation strategy

DSD:

Dangerous substances directive

EIAD:

Environmental impacts assessment directive

ELV:

Emission limit value

EMR:

Eel management regulations

EQS:

Environmental quality standard

FFD:

Freshwater fish directive

FGD:

Flue gas desulphurisation (De-Sox)

HSD:

Habitats and species directive

IED:

Industrial emissions directive

IPPCD:

Integrated pollution prevention and control directive

ISO:

International organisation for standardization

List I/list II:

Lists of substances within dangerous substances directive framework

MAC:

Maximum acceptable concentration

MSFD:

Marine strategy framework directive

OSPAR:

Oslo and Paris commission/convention

PHS:

Priority hazardous substance

POM:

Programme of measures

PS:

Priority substance

RBMP:

River basin management plan

REACH:

Registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemical substances regulation

SCR:

Selective catalytic reduction (De-Nox)

SWD:

Shellfish waters directive

WFD:

Water framework directive

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Turnpenny Horsfield Associates, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, S040 7AA, UK

    Andrew W. H. Turnpenny

  2. KEMA Technical and Operational Services, 9035, 6800 ET, Arnhem, The Netherlands

    Maarten C. M. Bruijs

  3. Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany

    Christian Wolter

  4. Environmental Management Department, RWE NPower, Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon, SN5 6PB, UK

    Neil Edwards

Authors
  1. Andrew W. H. Turnpenny
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  2. Maarten C. M. Bruijs
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  3. Christian Wolter
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  4. Neil Edwards
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew W. H. Turnpenny .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Wetland & Water Research, Dept. Animal Ecology & Ecophysiology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, Nijmegen, 6525 ED, Netherlands

    Sanjeevi Rajagopal

  2. Department of Environmental Research, N.V. KEMA, R&D Division, Arnhem, 6800, Netherlands

    Henk A. Jenner

  3. Water & Steam Chemistry Division, Biofouling & Biofilm Processes Section, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    Vayalam P. Venugopalan

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Turnpenny, A.W.H., Bruijs, M.C.M., Wolter, C., Edwards, N. (2012). Regulatory Aspects of Choice and Operation of Large-Scale Cooling Systems in Europe. In: Rajagopal, S., Jenner, H., Venugopalan, V. (eds) Operational and Environmental Consequences of Large Industrial Cooling Water Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1698-2_20

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